The first day of summer is June 21. With the Big Ten athletic season complete, it is “summer,” for all intents and purposes. So, I decided to do something random – something I hoped would be fun – with Big Ten fans on Twitter. I asked them to pick two players, past or present, from their Big Ten team to use in a mythical Big Ten NBA JAM. See their selections in this post.

While the Big Ten’s borders stretch from the plains of Nebraska to the shadow of New York City, the iconic conference still remains anchored in the heartland of America. And, that’s the way it should be. Today’s announcement quelled any fears to the contrary, as the conference is committed to Chicago and Indianapolis as anchor cities for its marquee events.

With the Big Ten athletic year now complete, we decided to compile a fun list. No, this isn’t a list that ranks the top athletes or breakout players. It’s one that’s all about puns on Big Ten basketball players’ names, both past and present. Whether you’re a horse racing fan or a fantasy sports geek, you’ll appreciate these creative names.

Several Big Ten players will begin a new, exciting chapter in their lives after being selected in the upcoming NBA draft. Where former Big Ten stars such as Noah Vonleh, Gary Harris and Nik Stauskas end up is anyone’s guess, but all three have been pegged for the lottery in mock drafts.

The Big Ten is known as being one of the best college basketball conferences in the nation. We have seen countless All-Americans sport Big Ten jerseys and go on to have outstanding NBA careers, from John Havlicek to Earvin “Magic Johnson to Isiah Thomas, to name a few.

The Big Ten is known for having a rich history and tradition of outstanding basketball. In fact, the Big Ten has won a total of 10 national championships, with the first one dating back to 1940 (Indiana) and the latest in 2000 (Michigan State).